In 1986, America's most expensive housing market was San Francisco, where the median value of a home was $160,955. Today, it remains the country's most expensive housing market, with a median home value of $1,058,474. That's a 557% rise over 30 years, more than any other US metro area.

To get an idea of how remarkable San Francisco's housing market is, check out the graphic below comparing San Francisco's 30-year increase in home value to the 10 major US cities with the smallest increase in home value over the same period.